Brazil extends Lava Jato probe

After more than four years, Brazil's corruption probe known as Lava Jato will be extended by a year following a decision by attorney general Raquel Dodge.

The operation, which started in March 2014, initially centered on alleged fraud in contracts between major construction groups and state-run oil company Petrobras. Lava Jato then spread to other areas where big construction firms also played a key role, such as hydroelectric project Belo Monte and the Angra III nuclear plant.

The Lava Jato task force is composed of 14 prosecutors and has resulted in sentences for 134 people, including prominent businessmen and politicians, and 12.3bn reais (US$3bn) in leniency agreements with the companies involved.

The extension of Lava Jato will be until September 2019 will allow the prosecutors to dig deeper into several investigations that are currently ongoing, a spokesperson from the prosecutors' office told BNamericas.

The probe has mainly focused on the state of Rio de Janeiro and led to the arrest of former governor Sergio Cabral over alleged corruption in infrastructure projects during his tenure.